Ray Allen News

"Through the first five games of the Eastern Conference semifinals, Ray Allen has found Cleveland counterpart Wally Szczerbiak more difficult to shake than a bad reputation. As the Celtics prepare to try to vanquish the Cleveland Cavaliers tonight at Quicken Loans Arena, the eight-time All-Star is still looking to find a way to regain his regular-season shooting touch, which has inconveniently abandoned him during the playoffs."

"To the relief of the Celtics, Ray Allen and the basketball settled their differences last night. “I had to get the ball in the basket somehow because me and the basketball were having an argument,” he said. “I made sure I won the argument.” Allen, who went scoreless for the first time in 853 games dating back to 1997 in the Celtics’ Game 1 Eastern Conference semifinals victory over Cleveland on Tuesday night, rebounded to score 16 last night at the Garden as his team took a 2-0 series lead with a convincing, 89-73 win."

"Ray Allen, per usual, spent extra time after yesterday’s practice working on his jump shot. Indeed, Allen felt good enough to call TNT sideline reporter Cheryl Miller over to a spot beyond the corner baseline to act as a supposed defender. To the chagrin of Miller, one of the greats of the women’s game, Allen then launched a rainbow bomb over the backboard and through the hoop. For a player who has shot 4-for-20 from the floor since the start of the fourth quarter of Game 6 of the Celtics’ first-round playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks, Allen didn’t appear particularly concerned with his offense."

"The concept may be foreign to two-fifths of the starting lineup but Ray Allen said it is time for the Celtics to fall back on the mental approach they used during their college days when one loss in the NCAA tournament meant the end to their season. Unexpectedly forced to a seventh and deciding game in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs by the eighth-seeded Atlanta Hawks, the top-seeded Celtics are taking today’s showdown at TD Banknorth Garden with the same feeling as a March Madness contest."

"The routine is paramount. People don't understand that. They see Ray Allen, his head meticulously shaved, his jersey tucked carefully into his shorts, his socks pulled up to precisely the same length, and they are drawn to his silky jumper. Can you blame them? It is so smooth, so fluid, so seemingly effortless."

"Kevin Garnett is taking around 3 ½ fewer shots a game this season. Paul Pierce is attempting about 4½ fewer. But, numerically speaking anyway, the most sacrificial Celtic this season is Ray Allen.The fact the certified All-Star is perfectly content with more than seven fewer shots per game is a testament to the team-wide attitude that has delivered the Celtics on the doorstep of the playoffs with the best record in the NBA. "

"Ray Allen finally might get a chance to play against the Milwaukee Bucks this week. But Allen and the other stars in Boston's Big Three - Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce - will have their playing time monitored and in some cases restricted by Celtics coach Doc Rivers."

" The Spurs expect to be at full strength for tonight's heavyweight showdown with the league-leading Boston Celtics. Their opponents might not be. Ray Allen, the Celtics' All-Star guard, missed Boston's victory at Milwaukee on Saturday with a bruised heel and is likely to be a game-time decision tonight. "

"Ray Allen wanted to be wearing green and hearing the cheers of the Bradley Center crowd again. Of course, he would have been clad in the St. Patrick's Day green of the Boston Celtics, if he had not jammed his left ankle in the first quarter of Friday night's game against Utah."

"Celtics guard Ray Allen was on the bench in a gray suit for last night's Celtics' victory, a 99-77 thrashing of the Bucks. Allen is expected to be back in uniform soon."

"Ray Allen is questionable for the opener of the Celtics’ five-game road trip tonight against the Milwaukee Bucks after suffering a jammed left ankle in the first quarter of last night’s 110-92 loss to the Utah Jazz."

"With a slip on the TD Banknorth Garden floor last night, Celtics guard Ray Allen's left foot woes returned."

"But last night they decided to toss some other interesting digits into the mix. On the way to tying their season scoring high in a 119-89 goring of the Grizzlies, Kevin Garnett passed the 20,000-point mark and Ray Allen topped 18,000."

"Ray Allen has been flying on a higher level ever since LeBron James took the MVP award away from him at the All-Star Game."

"After they had combined to hit just 5-of-25 shots in Friday’s loss in Phoenix, it was a fair lock that Paul Pierce and Ray Allen would be better yesterday against the Portland Trail Blazers. But 19-for-22? And 8-for-9 on 3-pointers?"

"Celtics guard Ray Allen went from an NBA All-Star replacement to competing with LeBron James for the MVP award last night."

"Ray Allen thought he had a pretty good read on the Celtics' hold on New England sports fans, but he got a reminder last year when he was house hunting west of Boston. As he was being shown a property, the realtor stopped, pointed to a nearby pond, and said, "Do you know that's where Dominique Wilkins fell in while he was chasing his dog?""

"At halftime of last night's 111-103 victory over the Knicks, Celtics coach Doc Rivers turned to Ray Allen and said, "You'll have to go to New Orleans with me." Allen isn't the emotional type, so he nodded. He was more upset about a bad pass that resulted in a turnover in the final minute of the first half. The message was clear, however. Allen was going to the All-Star Game. He was named for the second straight year as a commissioner's replacement, this time taking the place of injured Washington forward Caron Butler. "

"While Celtics guard Ray Allen would love to be an All-Star, he hopes it won't be because his friend and fellow ex-Connecticut star Caron Butler can't play."

"When the final votes were tallied in 2007, Ray Allen trailed seven Western Conference guards for a spot on the All-Star team. He then was bypassed by the coaches - perhaps because of Seattle's dismal record - and prepared to spend his first All-Star Weekend in years away from the game."

"Star guard Ray Allen missed the game with the flu. Star forward Kevin Garnett missed his second straight game with an abdominal strain. The Celtics are so battered physically that they will skip practice today for the second time in a week in order to heal."

"The Celtics have prided themselves on their togetherness this season, but the sharing may be going a bit too far. Ray Allen last night became the third player to miss a game with a similar strain of the flu. With Kevin Garnett missing his second straight game with an abdominal strain, the Celts started Brian Scalabrine (two points, five rebounds in 16 minutes) and Tony Allen (20 points, six assists in 33 minutes) in last night’s 117-87 demolition of the Heat."

"Kevin Garnett most certainly will have his All-Star ticket punched when the starters are announced tomorrow. And Paul Pierce expects that he and Ray Allen will learn they are accompanying him when the reserves are announced a week later."

"Ray Allen’s game is smoothing out - as evidenced by the recent return of him frequently popping off a pick and burying a jumper with flawless form."

"Many scorers say they can “feel it’ when their shots are falling with consistency. For Celtics guard Ray Allen, the sensation can become quite literal. “I always tingle when I know a shot is possibly coming,” Allen said. “I was talking to (teammate Brian) Scalabrine early in the year and I told him, ‘You have to always know when that shot is about to come.’ For some reason, it’s almost like the hairs on my arms and the back of my neck start to stand up because I know the shot is about to come.”"

"Ray Allen, bothered by a pinched nerve in his neck for the better part of a week, likely will miss tonight’s Celtics game at the Garden against the Charlotte Bobcats because of some alarming conditions. The guard, who sat out yesterday’s practice, said he recently started to experience numbness in three fingers on his right (shooting) hand. The little finger on the hand also developed discoloration."

" Two days of sitting at home, with all the attendant attractions therein (the NFL playoffs, the BCS title game, the New Hampshire primary coverage) was what Ray Allen thought he needed to lose his stiff neck. He was mistaken. Now he might lose a game."

"The league came down on Lamar Odom for his single-handed attempt to bring professional football back to Los Angeles. The Lakers forward was suspended one game for tackling Ray Allen in the fourth quarter of the Celtics 110-91 win Sunday night at the Staples Center."

"On the Celtics' team bus Friday, basketball wasn't the main topic. Conversation among the players centered around Thursday's assassination of Pakistani opposition leader and former prime minister Benazir Bhutto."

"In his first game against the Sonics since being traded last June, Allen had a lackluster offensive night with 10 points on 4-of-13 shooting in the Celtics' 104-96 victory before a national television audience."

"As great as Allen is the Sonics won exactly one playoff series and made only one playoff appearance in his five seasons. Fifty wins? The Sonics, with Allen and Lewis, had the fifth-worst record in the league last season. Adding Durant would not have meant 19 more wins."

"Ray Allen remains a critic at heart. The ex-SuperSonic says his former team has been on television more this season than in the 41/2 seasons he spent in Seattle. And the extra time on the tube has provided ample opportunity for Allen to spot things and give some pointers to his former teammates. "

"KeyArena fans roared for Ray Allen, and ex-teammates offered hugs and handshakes. But one thing was largely missing Thursday for the former Sonics star in his first return to Seattle since being traded to the Boston Celtics."

"Jeff Green doesn't make his Sonics elders flinch often, but when he asked "Ray who?" to a reporter's question before the team's game against Boston, Kurt Thomas and Chris Wilcox nearly jumped out of their chairs."

"At 32, Ray Allen isn’t exactly old. But he is an NBA 2-guard, and his job description entails running through screens and chasing opponents around the floor. And 32 isn’t 22."

"When Ray Allen woke up yesterday morning, the sting of Wednesday's last-second loss to the Pistons had subsided, and thoughts turned to the next game."

"Injured Celtics guard Ray Allen is projected to return for Wednesday's Eastern Conference showdown against Detroit at TD Banknorth Garden."

"Fast-forward to tonight for the Bucks' first trip to Boston this season, and so much has changed about the reawakened and proud-again Celtics franchise. At the heart of the transformation are all-stars Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett, acquired in separate off-season trades to give the Celtics a feared Big Three, combining with holdover Paul Pierce."

"Ray Allen led the Celtics with 20 points in yesterday’s 80-70 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers at TD Banknorth Garden, but the veteran guard still had reason to be unfulfilled."

"If you're assuming Ray Allen, Garnett and Pierce simply won't be able to share one ball, though? Well, then you're one dark-minded cynic who pretty much expects the worst from all mankind."

"The concern over Ray Allen’s shooting was suspended for a split second Saturday night when he drained a trey at the buzzer to beat the Bobcats. But there’s still some explaining to do when it comes to his recent struggles."

"One day later, with replays of Ray Allen's game-winner still fresh in everyone's mind, the Celtics rested. Not on their laurels, mind you. Despite an 11-1 record, the best in the NBA, they know they were lucky fellows to leave Bobcats Arena with a victory Saturday night."

"As Boston's Ray Allen was sitting in front of his locker at TD Banknorth Garden a realization surfaced - the Celtics have to win. Allen didn't say it that way, but that was the message."

"Perhaps the most daunting part of Ray Allen’s job last night was that he still had to shoot the ball after dogging Kobe Bryant."

"Guard Ray Allen typically hoists about 250 shots before games. When the Celtics go back to practice tomorrow, don't be surprised if he shoots more than that in hopes of getting his usually reliable jumper back."

"First, the only NBA franchise he had ever played for was bought by new ownership, and a new front office and coach would later follow. Next, there were strong rumors that a team that has been based in Seattle for 40 years could be moving to Oklahoma City. And then, on NBA draft night, his teammate, six-time All-Star Ray Allen, the face of the franchise, was shockingly dealt to the Celtics."

"Ray Allen admits it was an issue. Last spring, 11 years into his NBA career, he was left wondering if this was all there would be for him."

"When Paul Pierce mentions the white Nissan he drove during his days at Inglewood High School, Kevin Garnett laughs. They joke about Cinnabons at the mall and summer Sundays spent driving down Crenshaw Boulevard in that white Nissan."

"The Celtics' new star trio of Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce is on the cover of Sports Illustrated's and ESPN the Magazine's NBA previews, not the reigning champion Spurs."

"After Celtics newcomer Ray Allen fell hard after being fouled by the Knicks' Jamal Crawford, teammates on the floor immediately ran to Allen's defense in Boston's intense 94-87 exhibition loss at Madison Square Garden last night."